Faculty Handbook

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General Faculty Policies
One Time Course Setup
Course Setup
Managing Your Course
Oversight, Complaince & Accountability
End of Course Grading Policies
Conclusion & Support

Last Updated: March 30, 2026. Policies may be updated as systems transition and processes evolve.

Welcome to Bryan University

We are thrilled to have you as part of our faculty community. Our faculty are central to helping students grow, learn, and achieve their goals. This handbook is designed to guide you in your teaching, coaching, and mentoring responsibilities while providing resources and policies to support your work.

Our mission is to create a unified, consistent, and student-centered learning experience. As a faculty member, you play a vital role in bringing this mission to life. We encourage you to use this handbook as a reference and to reach out to your Program Director whenever you have questions.

Using this Handbook and Policy Updates

We have a set of guiding practices for faculty to adhere to regarding our student body and their courses. We strive to ensure our handbook remains up to date at all times. To achieve this, we may modify our policies and procedures without prior notice. Faculty are encouraged to review the handbook regularly for the most current guidance. Questions regarding current policies should be directed to your Program Director.

Your role as a faculty member is twofold; first, in a more traditional sense, you impart your knowledge and experience, and second, but most importantly, you serve as a coach and mentor. The ability for our faculty to coach and mentor students sets Bryan University apart from many other universities. It is our job to create a seamless, supportive, and collaborative educational environment.

Every student is unique and different. Some of them have full-time jobs and families. They must learn how to balance their personal commitments and educational goals. For some, this may be their first experience in college. Others may be returning after a long break from college. Regardless of the circumstances, we are here to provide students with a realistic opportunity to better their lives through education. Providing unparalleled support to our students also means that we hold students accountable, and thereby further prepare them to be productive in the industries they enter.

The purpose of the following Faculty Handbook is to create a unified and consistent educational experience, drive engagement between you and your students, and foster a productive student learning experience. Our accelerated programs require students to dedicate a significant amount of time to schoolwork each week. These procedures are designed so that students know what they can expect in return for their effort. For example, how quickly can they expect a response from you and what type of feedback they will receive on their assignments. By creating this level of consistency from course to course and instructor to instructor, students can spend their time focused on what matters most and not waste time wondering how they should do something or what they should expect.

Faculty expectations are guided by the RADAR principles, which support a consistent and student-centered learning experience. These principles provide a framework for teaching, coaching, and mentoring students in our online programs:

· Respect the learner’s complex life: Recognize that students have diverse responsibilities, including work, family, and other commitments.

· Awaken student awareness: Help students understand their progress, strengths, and areas for growth.

· Develop community: Foster a collaborative, supportive, and engaging learning environment.

· Apply effective learning techniques: Use proven strategies to enhance student learning and retention.

· Reward performance: Provide recognition, feedback, and accountability to encourage student success.

These principles guide faculty in creating a consistent, supportive, and productive educational experience across all courses.

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General Faculty Policies

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Faculty are required to regularly check their Bryan email account, as it is the official and primary method the university uses to communicate important information from Program Directors and other departments.

The Faculty Success Center website provides a centralized collection of instructional resources, including course setup videos, templates, guides, and best practices. The password is RADAR. Faculty are expected to regularly utilize this site to support course preparation and instructional delivery. Save or bookmark the Faculty Success Center website for easy access.

Full-time faculty are required to attend faculty meetings as scheduled by their departments.  Adjunct faculty are encouraged to attend as they are able. Faculty who are unable to attend the meeting will be required to watch the recording. Full-time faculty are required to attend the quarterly All-Hands Meetings. Adjunct faculty are encouraged to attend as they are able. Recordings will be sent to those who are unable to attend.

Do Not Award Extra Credit and Bonus Points. It undermines academic rigor and fairness and may create the appearance of partiality and favoritism. Additionally, this practice is prohibited by accreditors.

Students must abide by the Plagiarism policy located in the “Policies and Procedures” in each Course Syllabus. Bryan University takes plagiarism seriously, but also understands that students may not fully understand plagiarism. Because of the implications of an inaccurate accusation, contact your Program Director for further direction on the appropriate steps to take.

Academic freedom is defined as the right to teach, learn, discuss, work, and publish without fear of reprisal or sanction. Faculty and staff are empowered to have full freedom in teaching, research, publication, and externship activities, subject to the limitations imposed by professional responsibility and the law. 

Curriculum concerns should be sent to the Program Director and Instructional Design (id.team@bryanuniversity.edu). We encourage you to provide feedback, comments, and suggestions about the curriculum. We want the best course possible. Periodically, faculty may be called upon to serve as subject matter experts (SME) when developing curriculum in partnership with our experiential design team. Adjustments in teaching load for FT faculty to perform these additional duties are at the discretion of the program director. Adjunct faculty will receive stipends for serving as SMEs.

As all curriculum is developed by Bryan University, Bryan University maintains all rights to the course and course materials, including those by third-party content providers, and is subject to copyright policy. No part of any course can be used outside of Bryan University.

Faculty teaching load is intended to balance student and institutional responsibilities for full-time faculty. Generally, full-time faculty may teach up to 5 courses simultaneously. Teaching load may vary depending on other assigned institutional responsibilities as well as course enrollment numbers. Program directors work collaboratively with their faculty to adjust teaching loads, as needed.

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One Time Only Setup

Faculty must complete the following one-time setup tasks to ensure a clear and consistent learning experience for students from day one.

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As part of your one-time setup in Canvas, you are required to update your Canvas profile. To do so, select Account, then Profile, and add a profile photo. While in your profile, confirm that your time zone is set to your local time zone. Your profile photo helps establish instructor presence for students, and an accurate time zone ensures that course dates, deadlines, and notifications function as intended.

To configure notifications, select Account, then Notifications, and use the icons to choose how often you receive email alerts. Faculty must set notifications to Notify Immediately for all submissions, submission comments, and conversations (Canvas Inbox messages). These settings ensure timely awareness of student activity, grading needs, and course communications.

All faculty are required to set up their Yellowdig Engage account through the DeXL Faculty Foundations onboarding course. Access Yellowdig and select My Profile. Update your profile photo and configure your notification preferences to ensure you receive timely updates about student activity and course interactions.

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Course Setup

The following section outlines the required course setup elements to ensure students have a clear, consistent, and supportive learning experience from day one. Faculty are expected to meet these course setup standards for all courses.

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Every course includes a Note to Instructor page on the course homepage. This page is not published and is therefore not visible to students. It contains important resources for faculty, such as feedback templates, assignment instructions, and guidance for additional course tools like Bongo, Cengage, or similar platforms. Faculty are expected to review the Note to Instructor page for each course offering, as updates or course-specific information may change from term to term.

Faculty are required to include their name, profile photo, and embedded Welcome video on the Instructor Welcome Page for each course. The profile photo should be clear, current, and professional in appearance. The welcome video should be 3 minutes or less, with clear audio and video, and introduce yourself to students. You must be on camera for the entire video. Please ensure a professional appearance and a clean, appropriate background that is free from distractions. It should include tips for success and a brief personal introduction, such as hobbies or teaching philosophy. We recommend using Zoom to record your video. However, you may also use Studio, your cell phone, or other video creation software. Step-by-step instructions are available on the Faculty Success Center website under Course Setup Videos.

Each course includes a page dedicated to live engagement, which may be titled Live Events, Office Hours, or a similar name. Regardless of the title, the following information must be clearly included:

  • Live Session Information (if applicable): The meeting day, time with time zone, and the specific weeks live sessions occur (e.g., Weeks 1, 3, 5, and 7).
  • Weekly Office Hours: Faculty must include the day, time, and a brief description of their availability. If office hours are offered by appointment only, students must be instructed to contact the faculty member through the Canvas Inbox. If faculty offer office hours, a working Zoom link is required.
  • Study with Classmates: A dedicated Zoom room link for students to collaborate outside of class sessions. This link is always open and there’s no fixed meeting time. The link is enabled to allow participants to join before the host.
  • Book an Academic Consultant: This section should remain unchanged and must direct students to Student Academic Assistance (BU Tutoring). Note: This information may or may not appear on this page and may be located on a separate page.

All links and information on this page should be accurate, current, and functional before the course begins. Step-by-step instructions are available on the Faculty Success Center website under Course Setup Videos.

For courses that include live sessions:

  • All live sessions must be scheduled within the following time blocks: Monday–Thursday, 6 am–7 pm (Pacific time), and Saturday, 6 am–10 am (Pacific time).
  • Live sessions may not be scheduled on university-observed holidays or on dates when the university is closed.
  • Create all live sessions before the course is published. A cloud recording must be provided for each live session. Do NOT set meetings to record automatically.
  • The Zoom meeting topic/title must follow this exact format:
    Course Code Week Number Example: BIO-101-20250310SCA-A1 Week 1
  • Meeting options must allow participants to join before the host and mute participants upon entry.

Step-by-step instructions are available on the Faculty Success Center website under Course Setup Videos.

Each course must include a Yellowdig Engage community linked to the course.

  • Use Bryan University Courses as the community title.
  • The earning period must align with the course dates, starting the first Monday of the course and ending the Sunday after the course concludes, with start and end times covering the full days of the earning period.
  • The point system must be set to Standard.
  • For classes with 5 students or fewer, the periodic target should be set to 500 points per week; all other point settings remain the same. Some courses may require 500 points even if there are more than 5 students. Check the Note to Instructor page or confirm with your program director. Refer to the Yellowdig Quick Reference Guide for step-by-step instructions.
  • All configurations must be correct to avoid errors in the earning period setup.

Step-by-step instructions are available on the Faculty Success Center website under Yellowdig Quick Reference Guide and Course Setup Videos.

Faculty must create and post the first Yellowdig Spark before publishing the course. This post should help build community, spark course-related conversations, and include either an image or one of Yellowdig’s features, such as a poll, video, or other interactive element. The first post must be pinned to the top of the Yellowdig board to ensure visibility. Step-by-step instructions are available on the Faculty Success Center website under Course Setup Videos.

Before publishing your course, faculty must post a welcome announcement. The announcement must be written and include the following elements:

  • An image or short video (Note: this video may not be your course welcome video).
  • Office Hour information (How to access the link OR if by appointments, the contact information on how to schedule)
  • Reminder to complete the Syllabus Quiz.
  • If applicable, days/times for live sessions, the weeks of those sessions (e.g., Weeks 1, 3, 5, and 7), and instructions for accessing links under Zoom meetings.
  • Reminder to log into Yellowdig.

 

NOTE: The Announcements link will not appear in the course navigation for students until at least one announcement has been posted. Step-by-step instructions are available on the Faculty Success Center website under Course Setup Videos. Access the Welcome Announcement Template to help get you started.

Some courses use program- or course-specific tools, such as Cengage, that require instructor setup. Faculty should follow the instructions and resources provided in the Note to Instructor within the course to ensure these tools are properly configured.

Faculty must ensure that all assignment due dates for each week are accurate and align with the course schedule. If any due dates need to be adjusted, they must be updated in the course so students see the correct dates. Additional guidance and step-by-step instructions are available on the Faculty Success Center website under Instructor Tools for Managing Canvas Courses.

Adjust the Gradebook to display assignments in module order, from first to last, ensuring clarity and consistency for course management. As students withdraw from the course, their names and graded assignments will remain attached to the course, but no longer appear in the grade book. Additional guidance and step-by-step instructions are available on the Faculty Success Center website under Instructor Tools for Managing Canvas Courses.

Before publishing your course, review it in Student View (accessible in the upper-right corner) to ensure everything looks and functions correctly for students. Be sure to check key sections such as the Home page, Syllabus, Instructor Welcome, Assignments, and Grades.

Publish the course from the course home page to allow student access.

  • Intro Courses: Must be set up and published by 11:59 pm Pacific Time on the Monday one week before the course start date.
  • Non-Intro Courses (8-week classes): Must be set up and published by 11:59 pm Pacific Time on the Wednesday before the Monday course start date.

Before the course begins, send a Canvas message to all enrolled students to welcome them to the class. This message should provide a brief greeting, set a positive tone, and may include any important reminders about course access or upcoming first-day activities.

All courses begin on Monday of Week 1. Faculty should encourage students to start engaging in the course on that Monday and continue promoting participation throughout the week using Announcements, Yellowdig, and Canvas Inbox.

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Managing Your Course: Faculty Requirements

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Faculty must offer weekly office hours and clearly post the days, times, and a Zoom link so students can easily attend. This link should remain the same for all office hours but should not be set up as a recurring Zoom meeting with fixed dates/times. Students should be able to use the link whenever office hours are scheduled. If office hours are offered by appointment only, faculty must explain how students can schedule an appointment and indicate the days and times they are generally available. All Zoom links for student meetings must be shared in a clear, consistent, and accessible manner. Additional guidance and step-by-step instructions are available on the Faculty Success Center website under Instructor Tools for Managing Canvas Courses and Course Setup Videos. 

Instructors are expected to engage in consistent outreach throughout the term, with structured check-ins during key weeks. The following outlines when and how communication should occur:

For 8-Week Courses  

Outreach to ALL students must take place during the following weeks: 

  • Week 2  
  • Week 4  
  • Week 6 


For 4-Week Courses 

Outreach to ALL students must take place during the following weeks: 

  • Week 2  
  • Week 4  

 

All messages, regardless of course length (4-week or 8-week) should be personalized based on the student’s performance: 

  • Above 70% – Send kudos, highlight strengths, and encourage continued success. 
  • Below 70% – Offer help, encourage communication, and support submission of missing work. Refer to the RADAR guide for strategies to support student success.  

Each message should begin with the relevant week to help students recognize the timing of the outreach. 

Suggested formats include: 

  • Week 2 – How Can I Help? 
  • Week 4 – You’re Doing Great! 
  • Week 6 – Let’s Stay on Track 

 

Feel free to personalize the subject line, but it must begin with the week number (e.g., “Week 2”) for consistency. 

All outreach should be meaningful and relevant to the students receiving it. Using templates or pre-written messages for efficiency is acceptable, and the same message may be sent to multiple students when appropriate. Each message should reflect the students’ performance, progress, or engagement with course material, rather than being completely generic. Avoid broad, non-specific messages (e.g., “Hey class”), as students respond more positively when communication addresses their work and encourages engagement. Additional guidance and step-by-step instructions are available on the Faculty Success Center website under Student Outreach in Canvas. 

  • Respond promptly to any communication from students, per the response time policy outlined in the faculty handbook. This includes all forms of communication received through Canvas Inbox, text message, or another approved platform.  
  • Follow up on coach/AC or Program Director requests for student outreach, even if outside the designated outreach weeks.  
  • Exercise professional judgment to initiate additional outreach via Canvas, as needed. 

Instructors may choose to create a texting account and share that contact information with students as an additional method of communication. 

  • Participation in texting is optional for instructors. 
  • Text messaging does not replace required Canvas Inbox outreach. 
  • All scheduled outreach must still be completed in Canvas during the designated weeks. 
  • Text communication will not count toward QC outreach requirements. 

 

Texting may be used as a supplemental outreach tool to encourage engagement, provide reminders, or support students; however, Canvas Inbox remains the official and required communication method for structured weekly outreach. 

Respond to student inquiries within 24 hours for messages received Monday through Thursday, excluding BU-observed holidays. Inquiries received Friday through Sunday, or on BU holidays, must be answered by the next business day at or before 11:59 pm. This expectation includes student communications that present a statement rather than an explicit question (e.g., reports of IT issues, notifications of anticipated lateness on assignments, or other circumstances affecting coursework). In such cases, faculty should provide a timely response that acknowledges the communication and offers appropriate guidance, clarification, or next steps, even if no direct question is posed. 

Demonstrate effective written communication skills (i.e. clarity, spelling, grammar) and an overall professional and respectful tone with students. Grammar and spell check should be utilized. Write your replies in the same style and manner you would expect to see in a business environment and remind your students that their submissions should aim for a similar standard. 

Faculty must maintain an active presence in Yellowdig, engaging at least 3 times per week and responding to at least 50% of student posts each week. 

Faculty must create a new course-related post (Spark) every Sunday or Monday. If a holiday falls on Monday, the Spark may be posted on Tuesday. The post must be pinned to the top to remain visible.  

Use the Accolade tool to recognize posts and comments that meet class expectations. Accolades contribute 75–150 points toward the weekly Yellowdig grade. When awarding accolades, focus on posts that directly address instructor questions, demonstrate substance from weekly readings, live sessions, or other course content, and appropriately cite source. Communicate expectations to students regarding how to earn accolades. 

Yellowdig automatically updates students’ grades in Canvas; no daily effort is required. At the start of Week 2, faculty must add a zero in the Canvas gradebook for any student who did not participate in Week 1. Grades reflect the percentage of total points earned versus total possible points. Grades may temporarily decrease at the start of each week as total possible points increase; this will correct as students continue to participate. 

If a student violates the code of conduct or Yellowdig guidelines, faculty should consult their Program Director regarding the option to flag posts or adjust points using the +/- menu. Never delete a student’s post. 

All faculty-led live sessions must adhere to the same expectations for scheduling, broadcasting, and availability. 
 
  • Instructors must select a live session time within the following windows:  Monday–Thursday: 6:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. Pacific; Saturday: 6:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. Pacific 
  • Live sessions may not be scheduled on university-observed holidays or on dates when the university is closed. 
  • Each live session must be at least 45 minutes long.  
  • Instructors are not required to teach both morning and afternoon sessions; only one session per week is required for the weeks you teach. 
  • Best practice: Maintain a consistent session time for the weeks you do teach (e.g., Mondays at 4:00 p.m. PST). 
  • Once the course is published, the selected session time cannot change, and cancellations are not permitted. 

 

In the case of an emergency AND you are not able to teach your live session: 

Contact PD or designee a minimum of 4 hours prior to the scheduled live class start. 

 

PD approval is needed for any option below: 

1st- If the class has to be canceled, then the instructor must find a substitute to hold the class as scheduled. If a full-time faculty member is not available, then an adjunct can be used.  The adjunct will be compensated $60.  

2nd- If there is nobody available to substitute, the instructor will need to schedule a make-up session within the current week in which most students can attend. Record the session. 

3rd- Make a pre-recorded session 

4th– Locate a pre-recorded session from a past class to post. 

All Zoom links must be created before the course begins in Zoom Meetings. 

  • The Zoom meeting topic/title must follow this exact format: 
    Course Code Week Number Example: BIO-101-20250310SCA-A1 Week 1  
  • Follow broadcasting policies (camera on, professional background, visual aids). 
  • Record all sessions. 
  • If no students attend, teach the full 45 minutes and record to the cloud. 
  • Same scheduling and broadcasting rules as sessions with participation points. 
  • Record all sessions to the cloud. 
  • If no students attend, a brief recording (≤5 min) with key info and encouragement to contact the instructor is sufficient or teach the full 45-minute session using the prepared slides.  

Faculty must be on camera and available at least 10 minutes before the scheduled start time for any live session. Arriving earlier is optional but encouraged for student support.  

  • Instructor must be on camera for the entire session and remain fully visible.  
  • Instructor must dress professionally.  
  • Background must be appropriate for a teaching environment, free of other people or pets.  
  • The environment must be free from excessive noise, interruptions, or personal distractions.  
  • Lighting must clearly show the instructor.  
  • Instructor must use a hardwired connection or have strong Wi-Fi (minimum 5 Mbps download / 2.5 Mbps upload).  
  • All required technology must be fully functional prior to the session.  
  • Sessions must be recorded to the Zoom Cloud.  
  • Use visual aids (Google Docs, slides, etc.).  
  • Actively manage the chat box.  
  • Engage students meaningfully (questions, examples, checks for understanding, feedback, etc.).  
  • Teach for at least 45 minutes, covering the full allocated session time. 

Students are encouraged to participate in live class sessions. However, students may elect not to attend if they feel that their life situation, events, or other reasons make it inconvenient to do so. To provide flexibility, students can earn points for participating in the live class session(s), or by viewing the recorded session(s) and demonstrating “participation” through a make-up activity that you provide. Students should not earn weekly participation points if they are not actively engaged in the live class session, or do not submit their summary. 

Participation points are often listed as “Participate in the Week 1 Live Class Sessions”, or similar, in the Canvas gradebook. At the end of each week, an instructor will add a zero in the grade book for those students who did not attend and/or did not submit a makeup activity/summary. Students may still submit for credit after the zero has been placed. If a student chooses to watch the recording of the live class session and submit the summary, it is equivalent to attending the live class session. 

LearnIt grades typically sync automatically from Cerego to the Canvas gradebook. Late penalties are not applied to LearnIts. In cases where a grade does not sync, instructors may manually enter the grade to ensure students receive proper credit. Step-by-step instructions are available on the Faculty Success Center website under Instructor Tools for Managing Canvas Courses. 

Publish grades and feedback within 4 days of the due date. Best practice: complete grading and feedback within 3 days of the submission date. Re-submissions for mastery and late work must be graded and feedback provided within 5 days of submission. For unsubmitted work, enter and publish a zero in the gradebook the day after the due date to ensure accurate course grade calculations. 

Students must receive feedback on all assignments that are not automatically graded. This includes all manually graded assignments, such as essays, projects, and quizzes, where students compose answers that require instructor evaluation. Most courses include multiple weekly assignments; feedback is required each week for ALL manually graded activities. 

Substantive feedback supports student improvement on the current assignment or preparation for upcoming work. It should include: 

  • A positive comment about the work submitted 
  • Specific, actionable areas for improvement aligned to the grading rubric, when a rubric is provided  
  • When no rubric is available, specific feedback identifying what aspects of the assignment did not fully meet the instructions or expectations, along with clear guidance on how the student can improve. 
  • If a student earns a perfect score, feedback should still be provided and may focus on reinforcing strengths, explaining why the work met or exceeded expectations, and/or offering optional suggestions for continued growth or future assignments 

 

Faculty may use feedback templates or comment libraries to support grading efficiency; however, templates must be customized for each student. No two students should receive identical feedback. Feedback must reflect the student’s individual work, performance, and areas for growth. All students, regardless of grade earned, must receive substantive feedback on manually graded assignments. Additional guidance and step-by-step instructions are available on the Faculty Success Center website under Guide to Substantive Feedback and  Instructor Tools for Managing Canvas Courses. 

A grade of zero must be entered and published for all unsubmitted assignments the day after the due date. Without a posted grade, Canvas omits the assignment from the student’s overall course grade, resulting in inaccurate calculations. 

All feedback must be entered in the Canvas Gradebook using the Submission Comments box. Feedback may also be provided within the assignment using SpeedGrader or a rubric. If comments are placed within the document or rubric, notify students in the Submission Comments that additional feedback is available and how to locate the feedback. For assignments completed using third-party tools (such as Bongo or Cengage), feedback may be provided directly within those platforms. Additional guidance and step-by-step instructions are available on the Faculty Success Center website under Instructor Tools for Managing Canvas Courses. 

Apply the Late Assignment Policy consistently. Good-faith extensions without penalty may be granted on a case-by-case basis at the instructor’s discretion. Students may complete past-due LearnIts for full credit; grades update automatically. Remind students they may request a due date change under the “Making Due Dates Work for You” policy. Requests should be addressed within one business day. Weeks 1–3 assignments are due by end of Week 4, Weeks 4–7 assignments are due by end of Week 8. Reasonable accommodations should support student success and remain at the instructor’s discretion. 

Faculty should encourage students to submit assignments even if they do not feel fully confident in their mastery of the material. Instructors should advise students on the benefits of attempting the assignment and provide guidance on using the Resubmission for Mastery policy to improve their performance. This approach supports student learning, promotes engagement, and reinforces a growth mindset within the course. 

Faculty are expected to use the Gradebook to monitor student progress, ensure accurate grading, and provide timely feedback. The Gradebook must be kept up to date at all times to provide students with an accurate view of their course standing. Grades and feedback for submitted work must be entered within four days of the assignment due date, and zeros must be recorded the day after the due date for unsubmitted work to maintain accurate course grade calculations. Faculty may use filters and other Gradebook tools to review student performance by assignment group, module, section, or grading period as appropriate. All grades should be accurate, clearly documented, and visible to students in a timely manner. Additional guidance and step-by-step instructions are available on the Faculty Success Center website under Instructor Tools for Managing Canvas Courses. 

Faculty are expected to use course announcements to share important updates, reminders, and relevant information with students. Announcements serve as a primary channel for timely communication and should support student engagement and success. Announcements should be clear, professional, and course-related. Use announcements to remind students of deadlines, live sessions, assignment changes, or other important course events. Post announcements regularly and as needed, ensuring students are informed of any time-sensitive or critical updates. Faculty should maintain a consistent communication schedule to keep students engaged and aware of course expectations. 

Faculty may include graphics, images, videos, or other media to support understanding, engagement, and accessibility. Media should be professional, relevant to the course content, and aligned with the purpose of the announcement. Avoid excessive or distracting visuals; all media should enhance clarity and student comprehension. Ensure all media used complies with copyright and accessibility standards. For tips on writing effective announcements, go to Writing Clear Announcements Students Actually Read.

Faculty may revise assignment due dates for individual students or groups of students as needed. Adjustments must remain consistent with course policies and communicated clearly to students. For quizzes, faculty may provide additional attempts or extend time for quizzes to accommodate student needs. All modifications should be documented and consistent with course expectations. Faculty may add content or resources to existing course modules to enhance instruction or reflect their teaching style. All added content must align with course objectives and be accessible to all students. Additional guidance and step-by-step instructions are available on the Faculty Success Center website under Instructor Tools for Managing Canvas Courses. 

When a student is moved to a different section, the current instructor must grade all submitted work for that student and provide the student’s current grades to the new instructor within 48 hours of the transfer. Grades must be communicated securely and accurately to ensure a smooth transition for the student and maintain continuity in grading and course progress. 

Faculty are encouraged to use course and student data to identify engagement trends, monitor performance, and inform outreach and instructional decisions. Data from sources such as Canvas (participation, assignment submissions, quiz scores, last login activity), Yellowdig (community participation, posts, and comments), and Cerego LearnIts (mastery of content, adaptive learning metrics) should be used to support individual student needs, provide timely feedback, and guide interventions that foster student success. Faculty can use this information to prioritize outreach, provide targeted feedback, and adapt instruction to support student achievement. 

Faculty must report any student concern promptly by emailing their Program Director (PD) directly to ensure timely support, appropriate intervention, and institutional compliance. Reportable situations include, but are not limited to, risk of failing or significant decline in academic performance; repeated missing assignments or lack of engagement; suspected or confirmed academic integrity violations; mental health, well-being, or significant emotional distress; medical or accommodation-related issues affecting coursework; personal or family circumstances impacting academic progress; disruptive, inappropriate, or concerning behavior; requests for course incompletes or grade disputes requiring review; and any issue that may affect student success, regulatory compliance, or institutional responsibility. Concerns should be reported as early as possible, include clear and objective documentation where applicable, and be communicated in a professional manner that maintains student confidentiality. The PD will notify the appropriate parties, if applicable, and provide direction as needed. 

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Faculty Oversight, Compliance, and Accountability

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Authorized Bryan University personnel, including Program Directors, Coaches, and designated staff, may access courses for observation, coaching, quality assurance, or administrative purposes at any time. Faculty may add approved individuals to their course in an Observer role when appropriate. Observers are provided view-only access and do not participate in grading or instructional activities. Course observation is intended to support instructional quality, faculty development, and student success. 

In situations where a student violates the code of conduct, as outlined in the University Catalog, the instructor should do the following: 

  • Document the violation. 
  • Notify the Program Director in writing about the violation and provide relevant documentation.  
  • The Program Director may conduct an impartial investigation to determine the next course of action. The violation can be escalated to the Assistant VP of Educational Programs and Instructional Quality if necessary. 
  • The Program Director will track all reported violations in the conduct tracker. 

Encourage students to complete the end-of-course surveys as both you and Bryan University value their feedback and input. Remind them that the survey is anonymous and not required for a grade. 

To maintain compliance with accreditation standards and ensure accurate faculty records, all faculty members are required to complete and submit a Faculty File Report annually. The academic year runs from July 1 to June 30. Faculty File Reports must be submitted by May 31 each year to allow adequate time for administrative review and finalization.  

Training is an important and necessary component for all faculty members. Bryan expects faculty to meet the standards below. All in-service training and professional development completed during the academic year must be documented in the Faculty File and reported through the annual Faculty File Report. Proof of training must be submitted by May 31 each year to allow adequate time for administrative review and finalization. 

Faculty are required to complete at least one in-service training offered by the Faculty Success Department during each academic year. Completion is tracked by the department and is a required component of faculty compliance and evaluation. 

Each academic year, faculty are expected to attend one professional development activity, directly supporting the profession of the faculty member. You must provide documentation of the professional development content and attendance. Examples of acceptable professional development activities include attendance at an educational or industry conference or training event, a written review of a research-based article, and the presentation of a webinar. Documentation of professional development must be sent to the Executive Assistant for the Education Department. Faculty are highly encouraged to submit documentation as soon as an activity is completed. 

Bryan University offers additional training to meet University-wide or program-specific needs. Faculty are required to complete these trainings, which may be delivered asynchronously or through live sessions. Training with live sessions will typically also have an alternative assignment to the live training session for faculty who are unable to attend. Ongoing training is in addition to the requirements of In-Service and Professional Development requirements.

Faculty are evaluated regularly to ensure adherence to expectations, provide opportunities for continuous improvement, and to identify outstanding practices in the online classroom. The evaluation process is comprised of 2 components and applies to both full-time and adjunct faculty: (1) Ongoing online course reviews, and (2) An annual summative evaluation. Each of these aim to gauge faculty performance based on the expectations included in this Faculty Handbook.  

For ongoing online course reviews, the Faculty Success Specialist, on an ongoing basis, reviews online courses using the QC Criteria and the QC Rubric for scoring. Faculty have access to their reviews as soon as they are completed in the BU web app. The results are also available to Program Directors. Annually, faculty are reviewed using the Annual Evaluation Form. This annual summative evaluation considers the totality of faculty performance, including the ongoing online course reviews, student survey feedback, teaching performance and professional development activities. In addition to program directors completing this form, faculty complete the form as a self-evaluation. The Program Director and faculty member then meet to discuss the review and ratings. Completed annual evaluations are formally stored in the university’s HR system. 

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974 is a federal law requiring universities and colleges to maintain the confidentiality of student educational records. FERPA provides legal guidelines on student right to access, confidentiality, and institutional responsibilities. FERPA applies to all students attending any educational program at Bryan University. 

A student education record is any information recorded in any form that is directly related to a student and maintained by a college or university and by agents acting directly for the college or university. Education records include: 

  • Personal information 
  • Grades (assignment grades or overall course grade) 
  • Grade point average 
  • Class schedules 
  • Employment information 
  • Academic performance information, such as academic suspension, probation, disqualification 
  • Admission Information 

To avoid violations of FERPA, DO NOT: 

  • Use any part of the Social Security Number or Student ID in a public posting of grades. 
  • Link the name of a student with that student’s social security number or student ID in any public manner.  
  • Leave graded tests in a stack for students to pick up by sorting through the papers of all students. 
  • Circulate a printed class list with a student’s social security number, student ID, or grades. 
  • Discuss the progress of any student with anyone other than the student or university employees without the consent of the student. 
  • Provide anyone with lists of students enrolled in your classes for any commercial purpose. 
  • Provide anyone with student schedules or assist anyone other than university employees in finding a student on campus. 
  • Release any student information via telephone prior to verifying the identity of the student. 

Faculty must verify the identify of the student prior to releasing any protected information over the phone or text message.

Below is a list of information that can be verified with the student, prior to releasing any information:

  •  Student ID number, Full name (including middle name), date of birth, major program, recent courses taken, year of first attendance. 

 

You must verify at least two (2) of these pieces of information. 

Familiarize yourself with the technology used in your course.  Understand its use so you can be the first tier of assistance for your students. 

If a student experiences technical difficulties that you are unable to resolve, submit a helpdesk ticket to the Technical Support (SOS) team on their behalf using the email ITS@bryanuniversity.edu. Make sure to copy the student on your email and inform the coach or Program Director if needed. 

The creator of an original work holds a copyright in the work that prevents unauthorized copying and use of the work. Copyrights vest on the creation of the work. Registration with the U.S. Copyright Office is not required. The copyright comes into existence automatically upon creation. Bryan University faculty members must be careful not to violate copyrights when sharing online content with students. Copyright violations can result in serious fines and penalties. Below are guidelines to ensure copyright compliance when using various forms of media from outside sources. 

General Guidelines

  • When using outside content of any type, carefully read any guidelines on the website that mention linking to or using the content. When in doubt about the legality of using the resource in question, please consult the Librarian. 
  • In almost all cases, materials from outside sources must not be copied, altered, or adapted in any way, including importing the work of others into the Learning Management System. In all but a few cases, it is only permissible to link directly to the resource with proper credit given.  
  • In some cases, we can contact the creator of the material to ask for permission to use certain content. Please ask the Bryan Librarian for help with this. 
  • When seeking external learning objects, look for sources with a Creative Commons (“CC”) copyright license: http://search.creativecommons.org/. Creative Commons materials can sometimes be adapted as long as credit is given to the copyright owner. Terms of use for materials with CC licenses vary. Please read the stipulations for materials on a case-by-case basis. 
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End-of-Course Grading Policies

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Faculty must submit final grades by the deadlines below. If you anticipate any issue meeting the deadline, immediately alert your supervisor, Program Director, Faculty Chair, or the Registrar. 

Program 

Deadline 

Undergraduate Programs 

11:59 PM Pacific, last Friday of the course 

Graduate Programs 

11:59 PM Pacific, last Friday of the course 

Introductory Courses 

11:59 PM Pacific, last Friday of the course 

Do not enter final grades prior to the final day of the grade entry deadline. For example, do not post final grades before Friday in Undergraduate programs, as doing so will prevent attendance from posting correctly to the student’s record in the Portal.  Additional guidance and step-by-step instructions are available on the Faculty Success Center website under Final Grade Submission Instructions. 

Ensure all assignments in Canvas have been graded, including entering zeros for unsubmitted assignments. Compare your student roster in Portal (Anthology) with Canvas to ensure accuracy. Use each student’s final percentage score from Canvas (not the letter grade) when entering grades into the Portal. Do not round percentages up or down. Additional guidance and step-by-step instructions are available on the Faculty Success Center website under Final Grade Submission Instructions. 

If the Portal is inaccessible or there are technical issues, faculty should export the Canvas gradebook and securely email the final grades to the Registrar (Registrar@bryanuniversity.edu), copying the Program Director. This ensures that grades are submitted on time and that student records remain accurate.  

Additional guidance and step-by-step instructions are available on the Faculty Success Center website under Final Grade Submission Instructions. 

After the final date of the term, instructors and students will not be able to modify any assignments or grades. So if a student who is receiving an Incomplete needs to be able to turn in an assignment or quiz, you will need to follow the instructions below, prior to the final date of the term. 

Consult with your Program Director before granting an Incomplete grade. Students have ten (10) days from the start date of the following term of the course to complete the outstanding work for the course. An “Incomplete” grade should be granted sparingly. 

The criteria for an incomplete are as follows: 

  • The student must have a cumulative score of 50% or higher in the course at the time of request. 
  • The incomplete must be requested in the final week of the course. 
  • Extenuating circumstances must be presented that would prohibit the student from successfully completing the course. 
  • The request must be approved by the Program Director. 
  • Once approved, the instructor should message the student through the Canvas inbox with the specifics of the extension and the final due date for turning in work. 

 

Note: Students may request an extension regardless of their cumulative grade. Faculty must submit any extension requests to the Program Director for review. For students with grades below 50%, the university reserves the right to deny the request. 

If the Program Director does NOT approve the extension, the instructor will inform the student of the decision and advise the student on the best course of action in submitting assignments within the time remaining in the course. 

If the Program Director approves the extension, the instructor will inform the student by sending them the following message: 

Hello (Student Name), 

Your request for an extension in ____________ (course name) has been approved.   

  • You have been given permission to complete the following assignments: _______________(list assignments here). 
  • These assignments must be completed within ___ days by ______ (date). 
  • No assignments submitted after the due date will be accepted. 


Please ensure that all work is submitted BEFORE the due date. 

The process requires a member of the Registrar Team to adjust the end dates for the course at the start of the new term to be extended for 10 days. The course must remain closed until the start of the new term.  The student will not be able to submit any work until then.  The due date should be 10 days after the start of the new term. 

When submitting final grades for a student with an incomplete, you must put an “I” in Campus Portal.  At the end of the extension period, you can update the student’s final grade by emailing the following to the Registrar’s Office (registrar@bryanuniversity.edu) no later than the 11th day: 

  • Student name 
  • Course code 
  • Date the course started  
  • Final grade percentage 

 

NOTE: If the student does not fulfill the terms of the Incomplete Contract after ten (10) days, their grade will revert to the final points earned in the course. Notification to the Registrar and the Program Director is required in all cases via email. 

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Conclusion and Ongoing Support

This handbook serves as a guide to faculty responsibilities, best practices, and institutional policies to ensure consistent, high-quality instruction and student success. Faculty are expected to adhere to these guidelines and remain current with any updates or revisions. 

For clarification, additional resources, or questions about specific policies, faculty should contact their Program Director, Faculty Success Manager, or refer to the Faculty Success Center website. 

By following this handbook and utilizing available resources, faculty can maintain compliance with institutional and accreditation standards while fostering meaningful engagement and growth for students. 

Faculty are encouraged to revisit this handbook periodically and review updates to ensure ongoing alignment with university policies and instructional expectations. 

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Copyright 2025 | Bryan University | 350 West Washington Street, Tempe, AZ 85281